About this project

This is our sixth prototype

Biergarten is a game of comfortable atmospheres, Alpine heritage, and cold bier. It's designed as a quick game for a relaxing afternoon with friends, and features 50 individually designed cards with Alpine-inspired architecture and decor.

Biergarten, a game for 2-4 players, is essentially a tile placement game, and players compete as up-and-coming restaurant owners expanding their outdoor patios, or biergartens. Each card features either one or two colors, as well as a wall segment on one, two, or three sides of the card. Players earn points for each color match that they make, and having a match between each of the four colors earns a bonus of three points. Watch out for walls -- they block the flow of the garden, and color matches can't be made through a wall. However, if players can entirely enclose their biergarten within a continuous wall, they earn a six point bonus.

The first player to ten points triggers the victory round, with each player thereafter getting one additional turn to top the winning point value.

In each copy of Biergarten, you will find 58 common cards, 8 home cards, 5 rule cards, 4 player tokens, and 1 double-sided scoreboard.

We are using top quality components. The cards will be in ivory core with a linen embossed finish, the player tokens are custom wooden tokens with a screen printed design, and the game box will have a full color cardboard tray for the cards and tokens. We are going to be using Panda Games Manufacturing http://pandagm.com/ as our printer.

We've sent our prototype to a few awesome reviewers.

"Biergarten is a refreshing change of theme and one that is well executed"

Keep revisiting this page as more reviews trickle in. We're using this feedback to make the game even better. Look for us at Gen Con where we'll be doing another big playtest session to hammer out the last few tweaks to our game play, including a new scoreboard for 2 player games.

We’re doing something special on this project. We understand that no Kickstarter project is created alone. It’s only because of the community behind them that any of these projects make it off the ground. So, we decided the best way to show our thanks is by giving everyone a chance to be drawn into the game.
One week after the end of the campaign we will select at least 100 people to be added to our game. We are looking for an equal mix of people from all walks of life, but it wouldn’t hurt your chances to dress for the part.
Even if you’re on the fence about this project, we encourage you to head over to our Facebook page for more details on submission guidelines, contest rules, and the photo album where you can submit a photo of yourself.

You do not have to back us for your chance to be added to the game, and backing us will not affect your chances one way or the other. All are welcome in our Biergarten!
www.facebook.com/biergartengame

*** This is not the full set of rules, but merely an overview. For the rules as they will appear in the final game, head over to Biergarten’s page on Board Game Geek (http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/178335/biergarten), where you can download a full copy. ***

To begin, separate the cards into two piles: one pile of common cards with the silver B on the back and one pile of home cards with the crest on the back. After shuffling the deck of common cards, deal out two cards to each player. Then shuffle the home cards, and turn over as many home cards as players, plus one. Players will then choose a home card and place it face up in front of themselves. This is where your biergarten will begin.

After all players have chosen a home card, return all unused home cards to the box. Then, deal out three common cards face up to form the supply. On their turn, each player will either draw one of these three cards, or they will draw a card face down from the top of the deck. After drawing a card, the player will then play one of the three cards in their hand by placing it adjacent to any card already played in their biergarten.

This is where the game’s main mechanic kicks in -- playing cards of the same color next to one another gains points. Players earn one point for every side of the card that touches a matching color. If a card has two colors, it will earn two points if a touching card that matches both colors and one point if touching a card that matches only one of the colors. However, walls break the flow of your garden, and players earn no points for matches that are blocked by a wall. Any card edge that does not have a shield is a wall.

After playing a card, players may re-arrange their garden a little if they think certain cards could earn more points in a different spot. Players may either swap two cards in play or move one card to anywhere on the board, shifting cards out of the way to make it fit.

Players looking to get ahead can also work towards earning bonus points in one of two ways. Any player who makes at least one match of every color will earn the color bonus, worth an extra 3 points immediately. If a player manages to have a wall on every outside edge of their biergarten, they have earned the walled garden bonus worth 6 points. Players may earn both bonuses on a single play.

Players continue to take turns placing cards until one player has earned 10 or more points. At this point, all other players will get one final turn to beat the leader. The leader does not get to draw or play any cards in the final round. However, they may still re-arrange their garden one last time to see if they can earn any extra points. Count up the final totals, and declare a winner. Prost to the victor!

Andrew Sallwasser – Artist & Designer

A St. Louis native, Andrew is an independent game developer and artist, with a B.S. in Computer Games Development from DePaul University in Chicago and training from Gnomon School of Visual Effects in Hollywood. Currently he works full time as a senior artist at Flight Safety International. Hobbies include strategy games and homebrewing. Favorite Board Game: Twilight Imperium.

Lauren Sallwasser – Logistics & Quality Assurance

Another St. Louis native, Lauren is a professional archivist with experience in publishing. With a M.S. in Library Science from Simmons College in Boston, she works full time as a photo archivist for the Missouri History Museum. Hobbies include period dramas and conquering civilizations. Favorite Board Game: Eight Minute Empire: Legends.

Together we are Steamboat Gothic Studio LLC, formed to bring to life games that are easy to learn, quick to play, and dripping with theme. We believe we have succeeded with our first project, Biergarten. Biergarten came to life a little over a year ago when co-founder Andrew wanted to come up with a game that was both strategic and quick that he could play with his wife, co-founder Lauren. She has been beating him at it ever since. After deciding the gameplay was where we wanted it, we locked down our rules, improved our artwork, and formed Steamboat Gothic to bring the game to all of you.

We did it! The game will be created, printed and shipped around the world because of you.

We will raise the minimum number of people drawn into the game.

We will add 18 more cards to the game that will not impede the balance of play but instead allow for even more diverse and exciting biergartens.

More Goals can be unlocked !

We've done our research and we've reached out to experienced board game manufacturers and to shipping partners to find out what works out best for the campaign and for you. The breakdown is as follows.

51% Production Costs - This is our biggest costs by far. We decided to go with the highest quality components to start with and we are bound to a minimum printing requirement. We are going to be using Panda Games Manufacturing. Even if you haven't heard of them you've probably played one of their games. They do the best work in the industry and so that's why we're using them. http://pandagm.com/

30% Shipping Costs - We will be likely handling US shipping on our own, but we have budgeted in more for worldwide shipping.

10% Fees - This is our 5% Kickstarter fee and our 3-5% charge fees from all the payments.

8% Prototype - This covers all the money we've spent on the campaign up till now that we'd kinda like to get reimbursed on. This includes but is not limited to Software Licenses, Business Licenses, Webpages, Physical Copies, Event Space, Promotional Materials, and a really sweet banner.

1% Profit - This is our profit margin, it's what we'll use to grow the business further and what we'll use to enjoy a very well earned break when this is all over. I do promise that not a penny of this fund will be used until the rest of the orders have been placed.

Timeline Breakdown

August/September - finishing the game, the last push, and all the additional people to be added to the project.

October/November - pre-production. We will submit our game to our manufacturer and they will work with us to make the game ready for mass-production.

December/January - Mass-production. At this stage it will be out of our hands and in the very capable hands of our manufacturing partner, Panda Games Manufacturing. They will send us copies of the game for approval before shipping the bulk games.

February/March - The games are shipped to us and our worldwide shipping partners.

March/April - We're sending out all the games at this point

Risks and challenges

This is our first Kickstarter project. We've never done anything on this scale before. However we have spent the last few months doing our research, studying other campaigns, talking with other developers, and laying the ground work not just for a good campaign but also for a good product.

There could be delays in shipping, we are working with a very professional games manufacturer, but this is something we can not directly control. If delays were to arise we would make sure that all backers are well aware of any problems in the pipeline. Post campaign, backers can expect to be contacted through Kickstarter every other week until all copies have been received.

There could be an un-accounted for costs in any of our categories, to counteract this we've spread an extra thousand dollars through the budget, and if we need more the funds will be pulled from the direct profit. If at any point the costs become too great we will issue refunds to the best of our ability.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $20 or more
About $20

Game Backer - You gain a first edition copy of Biergarten, a download of our print-and-play files after the project ships, and access to all backer updates and a huge thank you for showing your support of our project.

Don't forget, head over to facebook.com/biergarten game for a chance to get drawn into the game, you do not have to pledge for your chance but we do appreciate it.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $65 or more
About $65

Merchant Backer - You gain four (4) first edition copies of Biergarten, a download of our print-and-play files after the project ships, and access to all backer updates and a huge thank you for showing your support of our project.

Don't forget, head over to facebook.com/biergarten game for a chance to get drawn into the game, you do not have to pledge for your chance but we do appreciate it.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $75 or more
About $75

Sure-Thing Backer - You gain a guaranteed place in the game, we will work with you after the campaign to draw you into the game. You will also receive a first edition copy of Biergarten, a download of our print-and-play files after the project ships, and access to all backer updates and a huge thank you for showing your support of our project.

Backing at this level does disqualify you from the community contest on facebook, and does not count against the minimum number of people being drawn into the game. If you would like to be drawn into the game with someone you know increase your pledge by 25 dollars US (Max 1)

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $125 or more
About $125

Eager Backer - Sometimes you just wanna be first. We will ship you one of our prototype copies of the game, signed, shortly after the campaign ends. You also gain a guaranteed place in the game, we will work with you after the campaign to draw you into the game. You will also receive a first edition copy of Biergarten, a download of our print-and-play files after the project ships, and access to all backer updates and a huge thank you for showing your support of our project.

Backing at this level does disqualify you from the community contest on facebook, and does not count against the minimum number of people being drawn into the game. If you would like to be drawn into the game with someone you know increase your pledge by 25 dollars US (Max 1)